Weird harmonics from neck pickup

[Xtasy2009]

Check out this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39gsvNOnR0M

Even though you can clearly see he's using his neck pickup pretty much the whole time, you can hear lots of these cool weird screeches and overtones that you'd usually get from the bridge pickup. They're very noticeable after 1:10.

Anyone know how this is happening? I was thinking maybe it's to do with the way the guitar is wired more than the pickup itself? Maybe some kind of treble bleed mod? I don't know, but it's kinda cool and I've never heard sounds like that from a neck pickup before.

[JOEBACCA]

What is happening here is Mr Santana is making sweeeeeeet love to his guitar.... he is the F***ING MAN!!! You watch him play and you say to yourself he's gettin ready to bust his musical nut all over that crowds face LOL !!!
AHAHAHA... seriously though it looks to me like he is manipulating the volume knob on the neck pickup as a boost for his leads.

[serizawa]

Yeah, that's what it looks like to me.

Standard feedback from a loud amp.

[Diocletian]

I watched it for nearly a full minute after the 1:10 mark and I have no idea WTF you're talking about. I don't hear any screeches or anything. Just sounds like a normal guitar to me.
Being played by a really boring guitar player.
Sorry, I couldn't even bear to watch it for a full minute, the guy bores me to death. Joebacca says he's getting ready to "bust his musical nut" over the crowd - I wish he'd hurry up and do it then, the foreplay's as boring as hell.

[Diocletian]

Oh BTW, if you're looking for stuff like pinch harmonics from a neck pickup chorus helps. If chorus pedals all died so would Zakk Wylde.

[GuitarDoc]

Could be he is using both pups. Bridge giving those nice highs but manipulating the neck pup for extra mid boost. Obviously his amp plays a critical part in his tone - tubes overdriven.

[Xtasy2009]

I watched it for nearly a full minute after the 1:10 mark and I have no idea WTF you're talking about. I don't hear any screeches or anything. Just sounds like a normal guitar to me.
Being played by a really boring guitar player.
Sorry, I couldn't even bear to watch it for a full minute, the guy bores me to death. Joebacca says he's getting ready to "bust his musical nut" over the crowd - I wish he'd hurry up and do it then, the foreplay's as boring as hell.

Ah well i happen to see you're a metal fan, and to me nearly all metal is boring as hell and sounds like sh*t... (with the exception of Iron Maiden, they are great)... i cannot stand shred, i like slower, more tasteful leads.

Anyway, there is a screech loud and clear right at 1:20 and 1:25, and it isn't a pinched harmonic.

he is playing the neck pickup almost all the time, his tone is extremely dynamic, almost like a bridge pickup. It's puzzling.... usually neck pickups are pretty flat sounding..

[Diocletian]

Ah well i happen to see you're a metal fan, and to me nearly all metal is boring as hell and sounds like sh*t... (with the exception of Iron Maiden, they are great)... i cannot stand shred, i like slower, more tasteful leads.

Anyway, there is a screech loud and clear right at 1:20 and 1:25, and it isn't a pinched harmonic.

he is playing the neck pickup almost all the time, his tone is extremely dynamic, almost like a bridge pickup. It's puzzling.... usually neck pickups are pretty flat sounding..

I just listened again to between 1:15 and 1:30. There's no screeching. I don't have a clue what you're on about.
I have a feeling you were maybe a member on here before.

[Xtasy2009]

I just listened again to between 1:15 and 1:30. There's no screeching. I don't have a clue what you're on about.
I have a feeling you were maybe a member on here before.

No mate, I was never a member on here before lol

Anywhoo, maybe screeching isn't the right word, they kinda sound like high pitched harmonics jumping out here and there, even though they're not actually pinched harmonics. I'm not sure how else to describe it.

[Diocletian]

Well, I don't hear anything unusual.Maybe it's just me.

[Metalman_666]

I can't remember where I first heard it, but Santana has been known to run around on stage during sound checks and in the studio to find the sweet spot where feedback happens best, and stays there to use it to his advantage. You'll notice that for the majority of that clip he's standing in one spot, which explains both the overtones you're talking about (I only noticed a little bit but nothing too glaring) and the ridiculous sustain on the high G.

You have to remember too that it's easy to get cool overtones and a certain vocal quality on notes with either the bridge OR neck pickup depending on how/where you pick on a string. Santana's definitely shows that technique sometimes, and it's true you can get almost bridge-like tones with a neck bucker if you practice the picking action.

Also you said you tend to find neck pickups flat, which I think is crazy. Many neck pickups have a great round, singing tone especially high up on the neck. At least in my experience.

[Xtasy2009]

Also you said you tend to find neck pickups flat, which I think is crazy. Many neck pickups have a great round, singing tone especially high up on the neck. At least in my experience.

I agree with you. The neck pickup is my favorite position. Maybe flat isn't the right way of putting it, but the neck in comparison to the bridge pickup isn't quite as lively or dynamic?

But thankyou for the detailed post! Very informative!

[Diocletian]

That video you posted shows nothing odd.

[Xtasy2009]

That video you posted shows nothing odd.

maybe that is the case, but i've never heard another guitarist get a tone like that from a neck pickup.

[firebirdV]

To me, it sounds like a combination of a lot of sustain, gain and some feedback.

I think a loud amp with a lot of gain and sustain will help with this. A Mesa Boogie Mark 2 or so could probably pull it off IMO, but he may have been still using a SS amp at that point (<- not 100% on this). I'll try to get this type of tone next time I get a chance.

As for all of the making love comparisons, I was under the impression that finishing too quickly was somewhat discourteous to the other party...

[super rad stuff]

all i'm hearing is some good picking technique, if you pick at an angle closer to the bridge, you can get those types of sounds depending on your attack. nothing special

[Xtasy2009]

Thanks for all the replies guys. Seems I know less about these things than I thought I did.